Today I sleep in a bit before working my way over the Osaka Aquarium. It is even sunnier than was yesterday - I’m guessing it must be about 80 since its really hot. Its a sunday so the aquarium is packed but very impressive. I particularly liked their huge pacific ocean tank complete with rays, sharks, schools of tuna, and humongous whale shark.
Riding the trains around Osaka I saw something I had heard about but not seen before - women only compartments. I hadn’t noticed them on either the subway or trains I had taken around Tokyo. After having experiencing a couple of totally packed rides I can see how both intentional and unintentional groping could be an issue.
From there I work my way back to my hotel and wander about Osaka-jo. The castle is pretty much all rebuilt and just a so-so museum inside but the views up top are spectacular. I had no idea that Osaka was as big as it is, the density stretches on and on as far as the eye can see. For a snack I pick up some takoyaki and a beer and hang out watching all the bands play in front of osakajo-koen station similar to what I ran into in front of yoyogi. I’ve lucked out twice now without planning it, visiting both yoyogi and osakajo-koen on sundays when the local music scene is out in force.
For dinner I went back to the shopping mall and had okonomiyaki so I could compare Osaka style with Hiroshima style later on. The topping was a bit sweet but very tasty. Wandering around the mall I saw something interesting, a place called “Dog Mind”. It looked a little bit like a coffee shop at first, but with a twist - you apparently pay money and spend your time petting a dog of your choice. Of course they also sell a wide variety of dog snacks and accessories so you can spend some quality time with your rental dog. Only in Japan…